Ron's Affairs
by expressurself
Summary: Ron is proclaimed dead and Hermione has finally moved on. But when fate brings these two back together, will they be able to accept the fact that they're meant for each other?
1. New Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling. I do however, own Elizabeth Watson and Andrew Cummings.  
  
Ron's Affair  
It has been over ten years. Ten years since she last saw his blue eyes gazing over hers. Ten years since she felt his breath against her ears. Ten years since her lips met his. Only ten years really, but it has felt like eternity without him.  
  
Hermione Anne Granger gazed up at the ceiling of her ornamented room, where blue curtains draped the windows that matched her bedding perfectly. Her mahogany nightstand harmonized with the rocking chair just to her right and her multicolored lampshade. Suddenly, she heard a faint rustling to her left and glanced over. She sighed deeply. Her current boyfriend, Rufus Stratfield, whom she had been dating for over a year now, was sleeping heavily next to her, pulling the bed covers towards him. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, then rolled out of bed. Walking towards her large, walk-in closet, she rummaged in her mind about today's proceedings. First, she had to run to the Ministry of Magic to obtain the latest reports and then she had to go back to the Institute of Magic, where she worked as the Executive Chair. Her boss and closest friend, Elizabeth Watson, the cofounder and chairman of the Institute of Magic, would be waiting for her frantically, waiting for those reports. Later, she would have to go to the meeting, which would take up half the day. There were always meetings on Thursdays just to look over the week's agenda and schedule next week's planning.  
She picked out her usual black above-the knee length skirt and decided on a red blouse for today. She threw on one of the scarves Ginny had given her for her birthday and pinned her hair at the nape of her neck. At the breakfast table, she set out the usual items; croissants, toast, bacon and eggs, and a jug of pumpkin juice. She took a bite of her toast and took a swig of pumpkin juice before departing for work.  
"Hi Hermione, you look rather perky this morning. What's going on?" Elizabeth asked as soon as she saw her best friend walk in, grinning madly.  
  
Hermione sighed contentedly, "Oh nothing. Can't I just be happy without a reason?" But even so, she dragged Elizabeth into her office and closed the door. Hermione spoke in a hushed whisper, "I think I'm in love!" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, but her mouth was curling into a smile. "Oh is that all? What makes you sure?" Hermione replied, "This morning, I woke up and found Rufus besides me. And then all these feelings of happiness and romance came rushing towards me and I just felt like everything was finally right in my life, except without the daily routine and the fact that you and Harry could be killed."  
  
Elizabeth smiled humouredly. "Thanks Hermione, for that vote of confidence. And no, Harry and I won't get killed." Hermione rolled her eyes, "Your job is so bloody dangerous, I can't see why you won't get killed the moment you step out of your flat. Besides, I thought we were focusing on me here?" She laughed a bit despite herself, since it wasn't like her to concentrate on herself fully. That is, it wasn't like her until she found out she was in love with Rufus. "Oh right, sorry. Anyways, I'm so happy for you Hermione! After all these years, you finally decided to land yourself a husband." Elizabeth teased. Out of all their friends, Hermione was the only one not currently married. Elizabeth was happily wed to her best friend, Andrew Cummings, and had two children. Harry and Ginny were also married and were expecting their first child in seven months. Hermione sighed again, this time with less pleasure.  
  
"I know, I know. But it's not like it was easy getting over...getting over... R- Ron." Her voice wavered slightly on the word Ron. Elizabeth tensed up again. She thought she'd never have to hear about Ron again, but she guessed wrong. The prospect of trying to rid her mind of her friend's death was quite hard in its way. Ron had died one month before they graduated from Hogwarts. It had been a gruesome death, just before Voldemort's downfall. He had been captured by Voldemort's Death Eaters and held against his will, mostly used as bait to lure Harry Potter to Voldemort's side. Harry, being the hero-archetype, had immediately gone to the Forbidden Forest, where Voldemort had told Harry where Ron was in the ransom letter, and found Ron's dead body at the edge of the forest. Elizabeth recalled clearly what happened that dreadful, haunting night. 


	2. Ten Years Ago

Ten Years Ago (the night Ron died)  
  
Harry had found the letter on Ron's bed, with a few droplets of blood spilling its contents. The sheets were messy and Ron's lamp had been knocked over to the ground, shattering its fragments. From what Harry took it, Ron had been kidnapped. He quickly read the letter, and dropped it, his face deathly white. He ran towards the portrait hole, determined to find Ron before it was too late. He bumped into an unsuspected Elizabeth, who was coming from Quidditch practice, drenched in sweat. She was knocked to the ground, her broom beside her.  
  
"Harry! What was that for?!" She cried out as Harry hastily helped her up. "Quick! Elizabeth, Ron's been captured by Voldemort! He's being held at the Forbidden Forest! I got to go before it's too late!" Harry drastically cried out. Elizabeth's face turned pale.  
  
"Oh my god, no! I'm coming with you!" Elizabeth picked up her broom and ran out the portrait hole, Harry behind her. They climbed onto the broomstick once they reached outside; the moon hiding behind the frightening cloudy skies, attempting to shade Ron's body from the two. Harry muttered a quick lightning spell and spotted something at the edge of the forest, twitching slightly. Elizabeth spotted it as well and accelerated to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry jumped off the broom before it even touched the ground, not bothering to cover up the sound of his muddy sneakers. Elizabeth raced behind him and gasped when she saw the pitiful sight.  
  
The moon had come out from behind the clouds, but somehow, that made it much worse as she spotted Ron's limp body, so fragile and skinny, as opposed to the way it usually was. His bright red hair was swept across his forehead and seemed even brighter than ever, even in the darkness. His usual blue dazzling eyes were open wide, the moon reflecting off the pools of the topaz-like color. His face was ghastly ashen and pasty, swallowing him. On his upper left arm, his sleeve was rolled up all the way and even in the vague, hazy dimness, they could both see the symbol of Voldemort's followers- the Dark Mark. Harry turned sallow; the only color in his face was his green eyes, looking over Ron's body with a burning, fierce desire of hatred and loathing. He turned towards Elizabeth slowly, meeting her sapphire-olive eyes, startling her.  
  
"Harry, don't..." She whimpered, her hand trembling as she made a move to touch Ron. She noticed his shirt was stained red and tore it open to reveal a long, deep gash in the middle of his chest, dipping with crimson blood. Then, she looked back to his face, glancing up to meet his blank, vacant eyes. This distressed her greatly and she began to weep, clinging onto Harry. He didn't bother to hide his tears either as he couldn't stand the sight of his best friend, brutally murdered by his worst enemy. He heard pounding footsteps and voices from somewhere distant, but he didn't care about those right now. He felt himself being pried away from Elizabeth and through his tear-stricken eyes; he noticed that it was Remus Lupin, who looked mortified at the sight in front of him. Harry spotted Hermione and Ginny running towards them.  
  
Suddenly, he felt tremendous surge of pain and hopelessness rush through him. He broke free from Lupin's grasp, despite the anguished shouts and ran towards Ginny, arms open. He knew he didn't want her to see her brother like this, no matter what. He had just lost his best friend; he didn't want to lose his girlfriend either. He knew that if she saw him and saw the Dark Mark and the way his blood poured out, she would just hate him for life and he didn't want that on his conscience. On his other side, he noticed vaguely that Elizabeth was restraining Hermione from seeing. Harry felt a lump in his throat. Hermione would be devastated if she saw her boyfriend like that. He knew that Hermione and Ron had been hiding their feelings for over six years now and had finally admitted to each other just a year ago that they loved each other. Now, Hermione would end up alone forever. Harry couldn't bear such a thought and buried himself in Ginny's hair, who was still attempting to free herself from Harry in order to see what was going on.  
  
"Harry, what are you doing? I heard something happened to Ron! Come on, why won't you let go? Why can't I see Ron? What happened to him? Is he...oh my god...Harry, is he dead?" She was holding her breath, waiting for Harry to reassure her or to break her. Harry didn't know what to do, but he knew somewhere deep down inside his hollow, breaking heart that he ought to tell her the truth. He looked down into her eyes, tears still streaming down his face and leaked onto hers. He brushed one aside and admitted quietly, "Ron's dead."  
  
It was only two little words, but they took her away. She looked positively faint, tears starting to well up inside her eyes. She looked past Harry, trying to catch a glimpse of her brother, but Harry was still struggling to not let her. She started pushing him harder, but Harry held on for dear life.  
  
"Harry, let me go! I have to see him! Harry James Potter, you better let me go or I'll..." But she never finished her sentence because she broke down in a fit of sobs. She sank slowly to her feet, her head in her hands, sniffling. Harry sank down with her, holding her tightly in an embrace, soothing her. He glanced over to where Elizabeth was and sighed with relief that she had managed to restrain Hermione from seeing Ron and she too, was in a heap of tears. Then, he noticed that Elizabeth was also talking with Andrew, who had apparently just arrived at the scene and was drenched in sweat, his damp hair plastered to his face.  
  
Harry turned his attention back to Ginny, who was still crying but had regained her composure long enough to look at him in the eyes. Harry held her tightly and whispered, "Ginny, promise me that you'll never let go. No matter what's the case, never let go, not like your brother. You're going to die an old, old woman, not like your brother did, not like tonight. You're going to live a healthy, rich life full of promises and dreams. Promise me that you'll never let go Ginny, because if you do, I'll never forgive myself."  
  
Ginny looked frightened and startled at Harry's words but managed to give him a nod, hiccupping between her tears. "I-I p-pr-promise H-Harry, t-that I-I w-will n-never l-let go-go." Feeling satisfied, Harry embraced her again.  
  
"Thank you Ginny, you don't know how much that means to me. You'll never let go. Never." He looked into her loving eyes and planted a lasting kiss on her faint lips, brushing strands of clammy hair aside. He gazed at her, but without much energy to muster, Ginny fell limp and fainted.  
  
Elizabeth watched as the Aurors were carrying Ron's dead body away. Hermione was still crying, and she herself felt weary from the recent crying, holding Andrew's arm as they slowly began to walk back to the school. Unexpectedly, she noticed how strong Andrew was, she could feel the lean and muscular body underneath that sweet and sensitive man she had grown up with. She looked up to meet Andrew's eye and blushed unceremoniously.  
  
"What is it?" Andrew asked, half-curious. His golden-brown hair flickered in the soft, gentle breeze and his light green eyes were glistening with tears in the pale moonlight. Elizabeth couldn't believe that at such a critical moment she was starting to develop feelings for him. Or maybe she had them all along but had kept them secret in her heart, locked deep beneath the rest of her common goodness. In truth, she had to admit to herself that she had always loved Andrew, although to her, it seemed more of a brotherly sort of love, the love she had for Harry and Ron. But Andrew was a different story now that she thought of it. Andrew was more of a passionate crush love, something she read out of fairy tales, but never expected to come true. That prince charming that could make her smile, laugh, and cry all at once, except that he gave dramatic kisses. True, they had kissed before; a kiss on the cheek or on the hand, or maybe theatrical smacking ones on New Year's, but nothing more. Yet here, in the midst of an unbearable loss, her heart was pounding furiously as she kept gazing up into Andrew's eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and just waved the issue off.  
  
"No, Andrew, I...I'm just thinking of what it is to lose someone so precious to you. Look at Hermione, she's devastated. She loved Ron, and now he's dead, leaving her to fend for herself, just before graduation too! For that was someone I loved so dearly and so truly, I'd...I'd probably understand what Hermione was going through. I mean, I love Ron, but not in the way that Hermione does. That kind of love is this sacred, mysterious, passionate thing I can't explain. If only I could, then I could go over there and tell my best friend I understand what she's going through. But I don't understand because I don't know what love is, and if I told her I understand what she's going through, and then I'd be lying." She spoke truthfully. Not wanting to see Andrew's expression, she had turned to look at Hogwarts instead. It was a beautiful castle really, but now while death still hung in the air and murder still rung in her ears, the castle looked frighteningly menacing.  
  
"Wow. I never thought you actually would say that Elizabeth. But I guess that's true. Neither of us has had that feeling that Hermione and Ron had, or Harry and Ginny had. It's something that has to be experienced in order to understand it. I have to admit though; I've never felt such a sensation like that before. I know that Hermione must feel so heartbroken now; she wants to be with Ron right now. But...that's probably why we've never experienced this before. It's too heartbreaking when the person you love is gone from your life. Then, you wait...and wait, until someone else either fills that spot or you're waiting until death comes, and you celebrate that death because it brings you closer to the deceased. But then, it's gone," He snapped his fingers, "and it never comes back."  
. 


	3. TOW they talk about love

Elizabeth snapped back to reality, as she realized that Hermione was starting to sniffle. She quickly offered her a tissue and swung an arm across Hermione's shoulders.  
  
"Aw, don't worry Hermione. Ron's safe in Heaven and he's waiting for you. Don't think that you're doing something bad, loving someone else. Ron would want you to be happy and if this is what makes you happy, he'll happily accept that." Elizabeth reassured, although she was trying to reassure herself as well.  
  
Hermione looked at her friend with half-saddened eyes and nodded. "Yes, I suppose he'd want me to be happy. And I am happy with Rufus. He's so kind and gentle, and very smart." She gave Elizabeth a tight-lipped smile before exiting the office, Elizabeth trailing behind her.  
  
It was a little after five when Hermione decided to go home. She stacked the files back into her desk and grabbed her purse off the rack. She went out the Institute and Apparated home. She was surprised to find Rufus in the kitchen, with a chef's hat on, beaming, with flour on his cheek. Hermione couldn't resist kissing him dead smack where the flour was and grinned.  
  
"What are you doing, Rufus? You never cook!" Hermione exclaimed as he led her to the candlelit table. She had changed into a more formal dinner outfit for the occasion, and watched as Rufus proudly presented a plate of filet mignon in front of her. He looked at her sharply.  
  
"Hermione, it's our anniversary!" He exclaimed, surprised. Hermione turned pink with embarrassment.  
  
"You're right, it is! I'm so sorry Rufus! Oh, this looks delicious!" She looked longingly at the meal. Rufus was presenting her with a neatly wrapped box. Hermione carefully tore the wrapping and to her amazement, found a silver bracelet enchanted to fit her wrist. She noted that there was some sort of Tracking Spell on the bracelet and three colorful stones. She looked up curiously. Rufus flipped the bracelet over where it was inscribed, "To Hermione, with all my love, Rufus." Hermione felt tears well up inside her and kissed him gently.  
  
"Thank you so much." She whispered into his ear. Rufus broke apart from her and smiled.  
  
"I was hoping you'd like it. You probably noticed there's a Tracking Spell, that's useful when you get lost and the three stones let me know if you're safe. The red one's when you're in danger and blue is safe. I hope you don't think it's too intimidating." Rufus turned red, watching Hermione carefully. She just smiled.  
  
"No, it's bloody brilliant. I love it! Now, you better tell me what this is," Hermione pointed to a platter orange soup, "or I'll throw it into your face." Rufus laughed and spooned out some for her to taste.  
  
"It's almond orange biscuit soup. It's a delicacy in Europe." Rufus watched as Hermione eagerly tasted the soup and smiled.  
  
"It's delicious! You have got to make this everyday for me, Rufus. Everyday!" Hermione enthusiastically drank down the rest of the almond orange biscuit soup then proceeded to her mignon. "I love you Rufus Stratfield." She said, unblushingly.  
  
Rufus looked up, half-surprised, half-elated. "I love you too Hermione Granger."  
  
Flipping through the stack of mail, Elizabeth didn't notice Andrew sneaking up behind her. She gasped as something light touched her throat and her hand automatically went up there. She looked down and saw a beautiful diamond choker, worth a fortune. Spinning round, she met Andrew's green eyes and smiled. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching.  
  
"Thanks love. What is it?" Elizabeth asked out of curiosity, though she knew perfectly fine what it was.  
  
"It's a diamond choker. I bought it at Tiffany's last week while on that trip to New York. I thought it'd be a nice present for you." Andrew whispered into her ear.  
  
"Why today? It's not our anniversary or my birthday." Elizabeth protested though she still loved the fact that Andrew would just surprise her with gifts anytime she least suspected it.  
  
"Is there supposed to be a special occasion to give my wife a present? I daresay not!" Andrew spoke dramatically. Elizabeth giggled furiously, leaning closer to close the space between them. Andrew kissed her, his lip brushing against hers. Then, he heard some shuffling behind him and met his four-year-old daughter's eyes. Andrew and Elizabeth broke apart slightly as Emma bounced cheerfully towards them with a book in hand.  
  
"Mum! Dad! Whatever are you doing? Public displays of affection are strictly prohibited in this house!" She spoke in a theatrical voice, though there was a definite twinkle in her blue-green eyes, which she had inherited from her mother. Her golden-brown hair, which she had on the contrary inherited from her father, was sleek and smooth, curling past her ears. Andrew picked her up and twirled her around, finally collapsing into one of the couches.  
  
"See Elizabeth? I told you we shouldn't let her read too many books! She's probably quoting Shakespeare or something." Andrew rolled his eyes as he bounced Emma up and down on his leg. Emma giggled feverishly while Elizabeth watched amusedly.  
  
"But Mum's right about books! They've got so much excitement and adventure! And no, Dad, I was quoting Charles Dickens." Emma explained as she picked up her book and showed it to her father. Elizabeth was hiding her laughs as she watched her husband's expression.  
  
"Cat got your tongue Andrew? Your daughter's smarter than you?" Elizabeth teased. Andrew stuck his tongue out defiantly at his wife, but kept a smile planted on his face. He was amused that his four-year-old daughter was reading high-school level books and was contradicting him. Of course, that's what happened when he married Elizabeth, the smartest witch of the century. He kissed Emma's cheek and told her to run off and play.  
  
"She takes on you, doesn't she? She's all smarty-pants and everything. What does she get from me, besides my hair?" Andrew wondered out loud. Elizabeth looked surprised.  
  
"Well, she's got your sense of humor, your sensitively, your brilliance in some ways, and your maturity." Elizabeth replied, blowing him a kiss. Andrew thought about this for a minute before beaming.  
  
"I guess she does. Well, she's bloody brilliant. I bet she'll be top student of the year when she goes to Hogwarts. She's already experienced a lot of magic." Andrew nodded to himself.  
  
"We're supposed to meet Harry and Ginny for dinner soon. We should call Molly to come and watch Emma and Daniel for us before we go." Elizabeth responded. She dialed Molly's phone number, left her a quick message, and turned back to her husband.  
  
"We better get going. Come on," With that, she threw on her coat and headed out the door.  
  
"Hello, Eliz." Harry answered the door as he heard Elizabeth's tentative knock. Ginny was preparing dinner tonight, something she often did. She took on quite like her mother, always entertaining and being the host. Elizabeth gave him a hug and bounced towards the kitchen, calling Ginny's name. Andrew shook his head slowly and clasped Harry's hand manly.  
  
"Hey mate. Ready for a game of chess?" Harry asked as he went through the refrigerator, looking for a bottle of butterbeer.  
  
"Of course Harry. I didn't come here to socialize with you." Andrew teased jokingly, taking his place at the chess table. Harry sat down with his butterbeer and offered one to Andrew. He began his first move.  
  
"I can't believe that she told him she loves him!" Ginny exclaimed, half-excited, half-annoyed as she chopped the potatoes. She wiped her hands on her apron and stuck her hand into the refrigerator, pulling out some carrots from the crisper drawers.  
  
Elizabeth shrugged silently, "Me either. I never thought she was really serious about him, or any other guy for that matter. She hasn't felt like this since...well..." She stopped abruptly, knowing that if she brought up Ron, Ginny would just burst into tears. However, her friend looked up at her with half-swollen eyes, as if she was reading her mind. Ginny sniffed once then turned back to peel the carrots.  
  
"Yes. I suppose it's been awhile for her. But we're her friends, we should be happy for her and Rufus." She spat the name as if it was a poisonous disease. "But whatever she says, I don't think this Rufus will be any better of a boyfriend than....R-Ron." She took a deep breath before attempting to cut the carrots. Elizabeth glanced at Ginny from the corner of her eye.  
  
"He'll never replace that hole. I guess...I always thought that you know, Ron and Hermione were bound to be together. They were going to get together. It was like a prophecy. And I thought you and Harry were going to be together and me and Andrew. Well, the prophecy turned out to be two- thirds correctly. I mean, back at Hogwarts, didn't you just think that you'll fall in love, get married....and that's it?" Elizabeth had a sort of faraway glance as if she was trying to see what it would have been like if all this had come true. Ginny's lips tightened.  
  
"I thought it was all that easy too. But I suppose when it comes to love, nothing is easy." 


	4. Rufus' Proposal

The next morning proved to be a bright, sunny day contrast to the week's forlorn and dark stormy nights. Hermione and Rufus woke up together, ready to take their Saturday stroll in Hogsmeade. Hermione dressed in her floral print skirt and a magenta-colored blouse. She put the silver bracelet that Rufus had given to her on and the gold necklace her mother had given to her on her 18th birthday. As she rummaged through the large casket, she saw bracelets, then a necklace of pearls, then a Venetian cross of gold set with precious stones of an admirable workmanship. All at once she discovered, in a box of black satin, a superb necklace of diamonds, and her heart began to beat with boundless desire. Her hands trembled in taking it up. It was the necklace that Ron had given to her on their one-year anniversary, a month before he died. Two big tears were descending slowly from the corners of her eyes to the corners of her mouth.  
  
At this precise moment, Rufus chose to enter the bedroom .  
"Sweetie, I was wondering if..." He shut up, astonished and distracted at seeing that his girlfriend was weeping.  
  
"What's the matter? What's the matter?" He stuttered, terribly anxious and confused.  
  
With a violent effort she had conquered her trouble and she held up the necklace to show him. She replied in a calm voice as she wiped her damp cheeks, "Ron gave me this before he died."  
  
Rufus turned bright red as he took the necklace from her and looked at it, at its simplicity, yet beauty. He swallowed the jealousy that burned in his throat and in his heart, and looked at Hermione with a glare.  
  
"So? What's so special about it?" He asked rather roughly.  
  
Hermione looked up sharply at him, "What did you just say?"  
  
Rufus was taken aback as he watched Hermione's usual warm, cinnamon eyes grow hot with rage, her faced turned colorless as she advanced on him, snatching the necklace out of his grasp.  
  
"Look, Rufus," she hissed, "I may love you. But do you know what Ron means to me? No! You don't! Just because I have finally gotten over the point where I can't ever see him again and I have to move on, and I finally did move on doesn't mean that he doesn't mean anything to me! Ronald Weasley was the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart...whether or not I'm with someone else doesn't matter. Not that I'm saying that we don't have a connection, we do, but Ron and I...we had more. It was unexplainable. If you can describe and define love, then you can define what our love was. It was this passionate, deep, intense feeling that we had for one another because we truly cared about one another. We respected each other, we loved each other. No matter how many women he was with before me or how many guys I date after him, he'll always hold the closest and deepest place in my heart. I love him and I always will. And that necklace is one of the most precious things that belong to me that remind me of him! It's like the last I have left of him, beside my memories." Hermione sobbed quietly as she watched Rufus turned embarrassed, then confused and surprised, then furious, then touched. He touched her hand gingerly.  
  
"I'm so sorry Hermione. I never meant it like that...look, I know that you love Ron and always will. I can't do anything else about that; it's your heart and your feelings. But I just wanted to let you know that I'll be there for you too, whether or not he is. I love you so much Hermione and I know that maybe you'll never love me as much as you love Ron and I can live with that, but I just wanted to tell you that you hold every place in my heart that you hold him in yours." He kissed her gently on the cheek and then bended down on one knee, extracting a black velvet box from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened with surprise as she watched him take in a deep breath and pulled the box towards her, revealing a Marquise and round Princess Cut Diamond engagement ring.  
  
"Hermione, I don't think I want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else but you. I know that your heart will always belong to someone else but if you agree to marry me...I will try to make you feel as safe, comfortable, and loved as possible. Hermione Anne Granger, will you marry me?" He looked hopeful, as though her answer was his reason for living, his fate. Hermione felt a surge of happiness then depression and misery settle into her stomach. She turned round to the window for a minute, thinking back to about ten years ago.  
  
Ten Years ago (Ron and Hermione's anniversary)  
  
Ron sneaked up behind Hermione's back, lacing something round her throat. Hermione gave a little yelp then her hand caught at something sparkly and expensive there. She turned round to face Ron's beaming smile. She looked into the mirror to discover that he had brought her an exquisite diamond necklace. It felt cold as it lay on her throat, but so elegant and formal. She felt the gold diamond pearl drops hang close to her throat and the single diamond tone mesh clasp.  
  
"Oh my goodness, Ron, how...how did you...wow." She could hardly believe her eyes. A few minutes ago, she was reading Numerology throughout the Ages for her Ancient Runes class, and now, she was the owner of the most delicate necklace she ever owned. It felt perfectly enchanted around her as she threw herself to Ron, who was still beaming brightly as he accepted Hermione's eager kisses.  
  
"You're the best bloody boyfriend in the world! I love it so much!!! Oh!!!" She breathed heavily against his chest as he stroked her hair gently, kissing her forehead. She looked up to him and smiled.  
  
"Why'd you give me such an extravagant gift on our first-year anniversary? I swear, if we stayed together for ten years, you'd probably end up buying me an island!" Hermione teased.  
  
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll do my very best. I love you Hermione, and I'd do anything to make you happy." Ron whispered into her ear. She just smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
"I love you too Ronald Weasley and I promise you that we'll always be together forever, so that you can buy me my island."  
  
"I don't need you to promise me that we'll always be together forever, you can't really guarantee that. But promise me that you'll always take good care of yourself and do whatever makes you feel safe and happy."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Present  
  
Hermione turned back to face Rufus who was now looking desperate as he waited for an answer. She sighed and imagined what it would be like if that was Ron proposing. And suddenly she felt like she was floating hundreds of miles above the earth, flying with him as they escaped from humanity and their troubles. She felt like she floating on clouds, felt like her breath was taken away and felt serenity and tranquility in a world she didn't understand. This image gave her the strength to know that the pain she had known and the conflict she'd experienced would give her the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage. And she knew that though she would probably feel alone and desperate many of the times, she knew that there was someone, like Rufus, who would always understand and love her till death parted them. And that's how she knew what her answer would be. She looked back at him with a fair smile and sank to the floor with him, holding his hands.  
  
"Yes, Rufus, I'll marry you." She smiled as he gave her a long hug and slipped the ring onto her naked fourth finger. Then, he celebrated by giving her a loving sweet kiss.  
  
"I love you Hermione, I always will." He promised.  
  
She just nodded along, knew that she loved him too but didn't need to say it aloud. In her head, silently, she was thinking over about how she'd react if it was Ron who was proposing instead and found herself happier than she had ever felt in her life, like everything in life had fell into place; a huge giant jigsaw puzzle finally completed. But it wasn't Ron, though she desperately wished it was, but no matter how many times she wished it, she knew that it wouldn't come true. 


	5. Ron's fateful return

Two days later, Hermione was absentmindedly walking down some shops, window-shopping for her wedding. Since Rufus had proposed, her mind had been spinning from the choice of flowers to the location. She had already decided on periwinkle blue robes for the bridesmaids and the list of people she wanted to invite, but there were still so many things to accomplish before the next four months were up. She was so absorbed in herself that she failed to notice where she was walking and bumped into a man, scattering his papers and other work documents.  
  
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry sir..." She looked up and her breath was caught as she saw the familiar flaming red-hair, now curling around the edges of his ears, and falling to the nape of his neck, the same freckles that she used to count while she saw him, and the most familiar blue eyes that entranced her with a single glance.  
  
"Oh my god...Ron?!"  
  
Ron looked ultimately familiar and yet different all the same. Sure, he still had his Weasley signature freckles, red hair, and blue eyes, but there was something so different about him that Hermione couldn't quite grasp. Perhaps it was the way his blue eyes flickered nervously at her, trying to read her expression. His eyes looked painful, as though he had come home from a long raging war; he grew taller and leaner from the years they were apart. The most terrifying moment about him was the way he smiled at her- she suspected he was probably happy and nervous at seeing her, but his smile was so...haunting. It was a crooked, rather iniquity smile that reminded her of her old Potions teacher, Severus Snape. It reminded her of dreadful movies she'd watched before or stories that she wished she'd never heard. It was mortifying yet still unbelievably blissful. She sprang into his arms, burying herself into his chest as tears drenched down into his shirt. He awkwardly patted her on the head, as though he hardly knew her anymore and at this, she broke apart suddenly.  
  
"Ron, do you remember me anymore? I'm Hermione Granger, remember?" She looked desperately into his eyes, but he merely chuckled.  
  
"Of course I remember you 'Mione! How are you?" He asked as though they were having a casual conversation. Hermione grew hot with rage.  
  
"What?? Okay, what happened? You were dead!! The Aurors, they said you were dead, Voldemort murdered you. They buried your body and everything." Hermione wept quietly.  
  
Ron's expression turned dark. He bent down to pick up his documents and looked round him. "Hermione, there's been a lot going on in the last ten years we've been separated. I guess maybe we should sit down and talk about this."  
  
Wholeheartedly agreeing, she decided to take him to the nearest coffeehouse. They sat down and ordered cappuccinos. While they were waiting, Ron started his story, holding Hermione's hands.  
  
"Hermione, I can't tell you how much I've missed you in the decade. These last ten years have been the worst nightmare I've lived through and I swear, if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead by now. I suspect that you're engaged now...I wasn't surprised. After all, you weren't planning on waiting for me all your life." Ron stated, looking at Hermione's gorgeous ring. She blushed unceremoniously.  
  
"Ron, I swear...Rufus only proposed yesterday and I was thinking back to the anniversary we had where you made me promise that I'd do anything to make myself feel happy. Believe me Ron, I...I actually didn't really want to marry him. I even told him that I hold you closer to my heart than he'll ever come, but he said that he knew that and he wanted to make me feel happy, so I agreed. In my head, it was you who was telling me to do the right thing and marrying Rufus seemed to be the right thing." Hermione replied.  
  
Ron looked down for a moment, stirring his cappuccino. "So, are you going to still marry him?"  
  
Hermione's face grew hot. She didn't know what to do. Here, in front of her, was the love of her life, the man she planned on marrying ages ago, back from the dead. But on her fourth finger was the bond that connected her to Rufus, and she didn't know whether or not she wanted to break it. She looked hard at her ring then at Ron and sighed, "I don't really know. Don't ask me that now, it's too difficult. Please tell me what happened."  
  
He nodded understandably, "Of course. Anyways, I guess it all started to the night that I was captured..."  
  
"I was coming inside from Quidditch practice because I got hit with a Bludger. I was passing by Hagrid's hut and saw a few lights in there so I decided to have a cup of tea with him. I spent the next half hour talking with him, but it was getting darker so I decided to go back to the castle. After all, my arm needed healing. Anyways, I was passing by the Forbidden Forest, and I heard rustling. I didn't have my wand at the time so I was defenseless, and I think that the attackers knew that because they came out straight away. There were about twenty or thirty of Death Eaters, surrounding me. They easily fastened me to a nearby tree. I watched as they wrote a ransom note for Harry and they took a knife and scratched my arm open a bit, for blood. Five of them went to the castle, disguised as students, and up to the boys' dormitories. I knew that Harry was still working with you on that potions project, so he wouldn't get back till late that night. They had killed someone earlier that day and gave him everlasting Polyjuice potion, so that he'll be disguised like me. He had a Dark Mark and was severely injured. The Death Eaters laid him out near the edge of the forest, about ten feet where I was tied. They waited, each minute becoming more precious as we all waited for Harry to come.  
  
"Harry came with Elizabeth about two hours later, flying on her broomstick. I thought that the Death Eaters were going to capture them as well, but they thought that two was too risky since Elizabeth's fast with spellwork and can easily knock them all out with a single spell. So, they just waited and were satisfactory when they saw Harry and Elizabeth mourning over my 'dead' body. Anyways, later, I saw you and Ginny come, along with a bunch of Aurors and professors. Even the Minister came. I saw Dad, and Mum and my brothers. They were all crying...I was devastated. I didn't know what the Death Eaters were planning to do with me. After all, what good am I?" Ron snorted at this point, causing Hermione to frown.  
  
"You're good in a lot of..." She started but was interrupted as Ron shushed her.  
  
"Don't worry, I know what you mean. Anyways, after they carried out the dead body, they Apparated me to Voldemort's side. He thought I'd be a useful tool so he told them to lock me up in one of his prisoner flats. It was located underground, small, yet quite comfortable. That was my living quarters for ten years. Voldemort occasionally came round to gather information from me, yet I gave him hardly any. He would torture me of course when I didn't, but I sustained my energy. While he was torturing me, the only thing I saw in my head was you calling out for me, telling me to hang on, so I did." There were tears filling up in Hermione's eyes as Ron told his story. She reached out to touch him, but he quickly pulled his hand away.  
  
"A year later, Voldemort died. His Death Eaters deceased as well. You might think that I would have been free at this point, but I wasn't. After Voldemort deceased, a new, sinister enemy came up. His name was Bronstein, and he had been following Voldemort's evil path ever since he could walk. He kept me prisoner, since he knew that I was connected to Harry and that old past of Voldemort's. He thought I was handy but he hardly cared. However, he was still generous in his own ways and gave me my own personal jailer, Bob. Bob was alright, after all, he wasn't really evil, he just needed a job to support his family and Bronstein, despite his wickedness, had a lot of Galleons. Bob always came in three times a day to check up on me, bring me food, and to bring me the Daily Prophet. Well, over time, Bronstein lost interest in me but Bob stayed with me. I kept journals about my daily routine, thoughts, whatever came up. I exercised, I ate, I wrote, and I read. Oh boy, I read a lot. There was this library in the flat and it contained over two thousand titles. I read them all. I realized that though I was hardly considered a wizard anymore, after all they wouldn't allow me to have a wand and I can still barely say the incantation for a Levitating spell, I was a masterminded genius in strategically purposes. I used my new talent and with Bob's help, I managed to escape from the flat without Bronstein knowing and that's how I ended up here bumping into you."  
  
Ron finished, finally looking up to meet Hermione's face. She was startled; the usual sparkle to his blue eyes was gone, replaced by a dull yet blazing fire that she wished she never saw. She gulped, mortified at what had happened to him.  
  
"Are you hurt? Is everything alright?" She asked. He chuckled and showed her some of the cuts, bruises, and scars that would remain etched in his skin for life. She gasped when she counted them- over thirty.  
  
"Ron, you're hurt. Both physically and emotionally. I can't believe this. Oh, my goodness. Ron, I...I don't know what to say." She sniffed.  
  
"You don't have to say anything right now. Let's go. I think I would like to see Harry and the others now." With that, he slapped some money on the counter and headed out the coffeehouse, Hermione trailing despondent, behind him. 


	6. Talk about Past and Future

Ron and Hermione arrived at Harry's house, somehow absentmindedly interlacing their hands together. When they entered, everyone was in for the surprise of their life.  
  
"Oh my bloody god...." Harry started. He stood up so quickly his chair fell backwards with a heavy thud but he didn't blink once. He just looked at his friend, standing there.  
  
"Okay, everyone, I've got my famous pot roast..." Ginny called out as she came from the kitchen, carrying a plate. When she looked up, her face turned pale and she dropped the pot roast.  
  
"Ron, is that you?!" She exclaimed out of sheer excitement and confusion. She looked towards her husband and exchanged desperate glances. However, she didn't take long before running towards Ron and embracing him warmly, tears spilling down her cheeks. Harry followed suit and clasped Ron's hand tightly.  
  
"Ron, how did you....what....how did this happen?" Harry managed to deliver out his words as he broke apart from his friend. Now, Elizabeth and Andrew were both taking turns embracing their longtime companion. Ron just shrugged at Harry's question and looked to Hermione, who was quiet the whole time.  
  
"I'll tell you some other time mate. I just really needed to see you guys again. But I should get going." He spoke rebelliously and started walking out the door, leaving his friends bewildered. Hermione, regaining her composure, quickly followed him.  
  
"Wait Ron, wait for me!" She cried out frantically. Ron stopped where he was but didn't turn around, just stared at the floor, his hands in his pocket. He had that familiar boyish charm about him that she loved and she couldn't help but feel some sort of loss had dispersed.  
  
"Why are you going? Don't you want to spend some time with your friends? The people who love you and care about you? You're just going to run away from them now? We haven't seen you in years and finally you just so happened to have run into me. Well, I'll tell you something Ronald Weasley. That moment that you bumped into me, well, from that moment on, I'm never letting you out of my sight again! I'm not going to lose you!" She started crying, holding on to that thread of hope that he would turn around and come back. And he did. He turned around, looking disorientated as he watched her cry. Taking two strides, he pulled her close to his chest, murmuring something into her ear that she couldn't quite hear. All she noticed was how warm he felt, like he was transferring heat to her. She felt a comfortable tenderness fuse in their bodies and sighed with deep content. Then Ron broke apart from her, yet his hands were firmly on her shoulders, as though he never wanted to let go.  
  
"Hermione, I'm not running away. I never would want to part from you again. Being away from you all these years made me realize how deep and meaningful my feelings are towards you, and I had to survive without you next to me that was probably the hardest thing I had to do. But now...things are different. It's everywhere. Things I've missed. You're engaged! I never got to meet that special someone that you chose to be with, I didn't get to see Harry and my sister falling in love and getting married, or my best friends getting married and having kids. I wasn't there for any of these things."  
  
"So this is about what you've missed in other people's lives?"  
  
"No. All that should have been part of my life. I should have graduated from Hogwarts, and maybe fallen in love and gotten married. I ought to have a job and a house and a life, too." His voice wasn't angry, just resigned. Hermione could sense the great bottomless well of bitterness this man was somehow managing not to fall into. She admired his courage. Ron took a deep breath. "But it does no good to fixate on it. I'm still a young man, I can go on. I can start a new life. I have to look forward. There's no view out the back."  
  
"You should have talked with us. We're your friends. We care about you." Hermione spoke rapidly. "Maybe I will one day. Not now. You guys want me back. I want to be back. I don't want to be some twisted, resentful half-a-chap gnashing my teeth and crying 'woe, betide' all the time because I didn't get to go to the stupid Leaving Ball." He snorted. "I got screwed, that's for sure. But it wasn't my fault." "Are you saying it was Harry's fault?" Hermione asked, a bit irritated and provoked. Ron met Hermione's' eyes. For a long time he said nothing. "He was my best friend. That's why they took me. Even you know that." Hermione didn't say anything for awhile. She constantly looked down. Finally she said in a quiet voice, "Yes. Harry would never want anything bad to happen to you. I know he blamed himself for your death. It'd be a nice little Greek drama if you could work up any anger towards him over that, but you just can't. You're too good to do that. It wasn't his job to protect you either. Remember us talking about this? We knew. We knew that Voldemort might come at him through us. We knew being his friend was something of a risk, but we accepted it. We stuck with him because he needed us and because...well, we loved him. We couldn't just abandon him, because we knew he wouldn't abandon us if our positions were reversed." She sighed. "I know that Hermione. I've always known that. Inside me, there's always that feeling that I wish I could blame me, but I can't. He's my best friend and I knew the risks I was taking. Actually, it was my own fault." He spoke with a final wave in the air, smiling truthfully. Hermione stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the cheek. She left a glistening star, and he put his hand there, touching it gingerly, and then moved to touch her hand. For a minute, time seemed to stop just for the two of them as she gazed intently into his eyes, trying to picture the last time she had this incredible, powerful, passionate feeling of desire and longing. An ancient and decaying wall inside her heart collapsed with a mighty crash and she threw her arms around his neck with a cry, swallowing past the hoarse sobs that rose in her throat. He clutched her to his chest with panicky tightness, burying his face in her hair. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his back but no matter how she tried she couldn't hold him any tighter. "Ron, I don't..." she began, and then all at once found that she could not continue because his lips were in the way, pressing urgently against her own. For a shocked second Hermione wasn't sure what was happening, then she opened her eyes to find Ron just staring at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face; her mouth was tingling from what had not been an imaginary kiss. Did that just happen? She thought. Her mind was racing. She slid her hands around to the back of his neck and stood on tiptoe to bring her lips to his, hesitantly; his arms encircled her with light pressure to draw her closer. Once the contact was made, however, all restraint vanished as if a switch had been thrown. He plunged his fingers into her hair and she melted against him, tightening her arms around his shoulders as they kissed, caught up in a tidal wave of passion so intense Hermione had to wonder where it had come from...or perhaps it had been there all along, just biding its time. "Oh Ron! Ron! I...don't know...what...Oohh." She moaned, as her lips pressed harder against hers. She wounded her legs through his, smiling up at Ron as she kissed along his jawline. Suddenly she heard a gasp. It seemed so distant yet so near all the same. She hastily turned around and saw....Rufus. 


	7. Breakup and Reunion

Rufus stared at the two, completely dumbfounded and shocked. He looked at them for a few minutes and then fled down the stairs again. Hermione looked to Ron quickly, her mouth hung open.  
  
"Oh no." She breathed. Ron gave her an offensive look and sighed.  
  
"Go after him." He said quietly, looking down. He put his hands in his pockets, desperately trying to find a reason to allow her to stay yet he knew he should let her go after Rufus.  
  
"Thank you Ron." She leaned up to kiss him lightly on the cheek and then, whispered kindly, "I'll be back." Then she fled after him. Ron looked after her and sighed.  
  
"Rufus! Rufus! Wait up! Come on...we should talk about this!" Hermione cried out after him, running as fast as she could. Suddenly she stopped. What was she doing? She loved Ron...why would she go after Rufus? Then all of a sudden, she remembered back to just a few days ago when she told him that she loved Rufus. "But I've always loved Ron and I always will. Nothing can change that and nothing will. He makes my heart pound and there's so much connection, so much heat between us. With Rufus, it's just...there's just safety." Convinced, Hermione ran after Rufus again, this time catching up to him.  
  
"Rufus..."  
  
He turned around, eyes blazing with fire. "Look Hermione, I...I don't even know what happened. Was that Ron?" She nodded. "Okay then. See, now I don't see how he even came back from the dead. I...I'm so confused and then I saw you kissing him, and I know that you're always going to love him more than anything else, but," He stroked her hand, "I thought we had something, some kind of connection."  
  
"Well, I thought we had a connection too. But I just realized that I love Ron and I always will. He makes me feel like I'm worth everything I am. I can't imagine spending my life without him, with no one else." Hermione spoke clearly. She took off the ring and thrust it into his palm. "Here. I think this is yours. Goodbye Rufus. I enjoyed the time we had together though. You're a great guy, I'm sure that you'll end up with someone who loves you more than I ever could." She gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and ran back.  
  
Ron was waiting patiently for Hermione to return, which he knew in his heart that she was going to. He heard someone come up, and smiled. "Hermione," he whispered.  
  
She came upstairs, dragging her feet silently. Then she saw Ron standing there and finally managed to breathe. He suddenly dropped his hands and closed the distance between them in two strides. He reached out and grasped her roughly by the upper arms. She stared up into his face. His fingers gripped her arms like vises, transmitting his trembling through her shoulders to shiver through her entire body. His blue eyes were brimming with tears which began to run down his cheeks as she watched; she was only marginally aware of the tears streaming down her own face.  
  
"I broke up with Rufus." She said in a pronounced voice. Ron looked at her with wide, appreciated eyes.  
  
"Really Hermione?" He asked, his voice raspy yet hopeful.  
  
"Really. It's always been you, Ron." Ron looked absolutely touched and cupped her face in his hands, smiling.  
  
"It's always been you too, 'Mione. You're the brightest, most wonderful girl ever." He whispered into her ear. "I love you Hermione Granger."  
  
Hermione smiled as she touched Ron's arm, leaning against him for warmth, comfort, and protection. "You're everything to me too. I love you Ron Weasley." 


	8. Dating you again

"Congratulations you guys! I knew that you would eventually end up together!" Harry exclaimed, hugging Ginny tightly. Then he spun towards Andrew and held out his hand. "Alright, cough it up, Andrew." His friend sighed and pulled out ten Galleons and thrust it into Harry's outstretched palm. Hermione and Ron looked furious.  
  
"You made a bet on whether we were going to get together?" Hermione asked, hands on her hips, acting her best Professor McGonagall impression. However, there was a definite twinkle in her eyes and she burst out laughing. "Oh forget it! I can't stay mad too long. Ron and I are in love." She looked towards her new boyfriend and smiled. He smiled back and tickled her.  
  
"We have to celebrate this. How about we go to that new ballroom down by Chestnut Avenue and dance and have some drinks?" Elizabeth suggested to lighten the mood, although it was pretty much carefree and untroubled with the news of Ron returning back home and Ron and Hermione currently dating.  
  
"That sounds great. But I have to change though. Wait for me, okay?" Hermione gave her boyfriend a quick kiss and left hurriedly. She returned to her bedroom and immediately veered to her closet to find a nice outfit to wear for the celebration. She searched endlessly, wanting to impress Ron. And then she saw it- the dress she had dreamed of for years but had never worn before to anyone.  
  
The dress she had chosen to wear that night was modeled as close to memory allowed on the dress that Ron had given to her for her 17th birthday so many years ago- still her favorite article of clothing, albeit briefly. This one was a dark rich cinnamon, with a fitted bodice, lacing up the back, the same full skirt and wide scooped neck dramatically showing more of her shoulders and the top of her chest than she was used to. With it went sheer stockings and a pair of high, strappy shoes. Hermione glanced at herself in the dresser mirror, admiring herself as she had done so many years ago in front of Ron. Now it seemed like a repeat of history all over again; trying to impress the man she loved. Gathering her full skirts, she headed downstairs and out the door, back to Ginny & Harry's flat.  
  
When she arrived, she heard distinct conversation going on between two people. She suspected that Ginny and Elizabeth were both getting ready and if they were anything like her, they would take at least thirty minutes before coming back. She opened the door, staring at the two occupants. Harry and Ron were conversing quietly. They both looked up when they heard the door. When Ron looked up, his eyes widened then darkened, looking a little stunned. He crossed the room and went over to her. He kissed her very gently on the cheek, brushing back a stray tendril of her hair as she did so.  
  
"You look beautiful." He said. Hermione didn't say anything, just turned pink. She watched from the corner of her eye as Harry looked at her too, with an air of astonishment.  
  
"All dressed up then?" Harry smiled, though she knew he admired the way she looked, possibly because he had rarely ever seen her dressed up, and she knew that, maybe more beautiful than she would ever look in a lifetime. Her gaze lingered for a few minutes on her best friend then turned back to Ron's. She noticed that he was dressed up as well, maybe more so than he ever had been. He wore charcoal gray trousers that looked as if they'd been designed especially for him, and a soft white shirt that brought out the blue undercurrents in his eyes. His shoes were dark brown leather, the kind that looked as if they probably cost 100 galleons a shoelace. He looked a little older, a great deal more elegant, and very, very rich. It was a bit intimidating. He looked at her and smiled. His hair had gotten long enough to curl down nearly to his collar, and against his tanned skin the faint scar along his cheekbone stood out as silver and delicate as any star she could pick out in the night sky.  
"You look..." Hermione just stared, lost for words. Ron, however, knew her meaning and just gave her a swift kiss, blushing as red as his hair. Harry rolled his eyes as he waited for his wife and best friends to come back.  
Soon enough, Elizabeth and Andrew came back from their flat, dressed elegantly. Elizabeth's hair was done by a charm that smoothed her locks into a velvety river of flame-colored silk, and had fastened it with clips in the shape of tiny multicolored butterflies. Her dress was perfect – lilac-colored satin, and straps that crossed in back, showing her slim, shoulders to great advantage. Andrew looked smartly decent in black trousers and a blue Calvin Klein shirt. He smelled faintly of aftershave and as usual, his hair was methodically combed, sweeping across his eyes, casting a soft look. Hermione smiled at her best friends. Surely it had been ages since they had dressed up to go somewhere together for a change. Maybe it was just because Ron was back, she didn't know.  
She heard a rustling and turned her head slightly to the staircase, where she saw Ginny making her grand entrance. Harry's eyes cast a stunned expression as he saw her walking down the stairs slowly, wearing a celadon- green satin evening dress that scooped wide in the shoulders and the top of her chest dramatically. It hugged her skin tightly and showed off her slim, fine legs. She looked like a portrait girl, from long ago- so elegant yet delicate. Harry took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman, making Ginny blush furiously. She turned towards her friends and her eyes widened at their evening attires. They looked like they had all spent a fortune on their nice-fitting garments, going to a stylish ballroom for dances and drinks.  
  
The night passed away slowly as they had spent hours at the ballroom. They sat at one of the far-end tables, laughing and sharing drinks. When it was time for the first, slow dance, Elizabeth dragged Andrew out on the dance floor. They didn't show for another five dances, in which Harry and Ginny participated in three of. Ron and Hermione sat awkwardly at the table alone, just holding hands. It was nearly one o'clock when the musician took the microphone into his hands and said, "Alright everyone, this had been a wonderful night. This song was just dedicated to us by a Mr. Ronald Weasley to his girlfriend Miss Hermione Granger. He says that he loves her and will do anything for her. Everyone, please, come join the dance floor. This will be our last song. We enjoyed our time and hoped you did as well." A new song, I knew I loved you before I met you, came on. Hermione's heart fluttered. She gazed at Ron.  
  
"This is our song! You asked them to play our song!" She squealed with delight. Ron beamed, extending a hand out.  
  
"Will you have the honor of joining me for this dance?"  
  
"Of course." She took his hand and followed him towards the dance floor. Once there, he immediately put one hand on her waist and began leading her slowly around the dance floor. She interlaced her hand with his, pressing herself closer to him. For a few moments, they were oblivious to the surrounding people. All she knew was that he was there, safe and sound, holding her hand, and she knew that no one could hold her hand like he could. She looked up at him and watched his blue eyes dance with happiness and pleasure, smiling down at her. He felt so close, she could feel his breath. Then, very slowly, he leaned down and sealed his mouth over hers. At first she was aware only of Ron's mouth on her mouth, his hands sliding down her sides to grasp her waist and pull her more firmly against him, the sweet taste of him and the steady uninterrupted pounding of his heart. Kissing Viktor had never felt right. Kissing Rufus was like visiting a foreign country with its terrifying pictures. Kissing Ron was like coming home. 


	9. Finding THE ring

One Year Later  
  
Ron quietly slipped out of the room, out of the house, to his best friend's house for advice. He opened the door slightly ajar and saw her making a strawberry-banana smoothie for breakfast.  
  
"Hi Ron, what are you doing up so early?" Elizabeth asked, blending the ingredients together. She was still in her pajamas, her hair was tousled, but she was smiling all the same.  
  
"I need your help. Can you come to New York City with me today around noon to Tiffany's?" Ron asked, fidgeting. He watched as Elizabeth's eyes grew wide and she dropped the banana she was holding. He smiled silently to himself. She was too smart of a witch to know what he was planning to do.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, are you planning to propose to Hermione?" Elizabeth squealed, her voice an octave higher. Ron just nodded.  
  
She literally jumped across the counter and met him with a tight hug. She was bouncing up and down like a little kid. Ron couldn't help but laugh along. "Oh, of course I'll come. I need to help you pick a ring!!! Wow, Hermione and you are going to get married!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed with zest.  
  
"Wait a minute, how do you know she'll say yes?" Ron asked testily. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and slapped him on the arm.  
  
"Of course she'll say yes, you dimwit. You guys are meant for each other, you're...you're like Trumpeter Swans." She said out of nowhere, a sort of faraway look in her eyes. Ron frowned.  
  
"What do you mean trumpeter swans?"  
  
"You know, Trumpeter Swans nest and mate for life. They never break apart. In fact, in Canada, people always see Trumpeter Swans flying north to lay their eggs each spring, years and years later, they're still together, laying their eggs. They never break apart and live to be very old. That's how you and Hermione are like. You guys will never break apart and will live forever." Elizabeth had tears glistening in her eyes. Ron did too. He thought it was very emotional how his friend described him and Hermione in an animal perspective. Weird, but very emotional. Ron squeezed her hand and gave her a glowing smile.  
  
"I'm going to marry Hermione." He whispered.  
  
Hermione turned over in her bed, laying her hand where Ron's chest should have been. But it wasn't there. She blinked. Ron wasn't there. She felt her heart pump with anxiety and nervousness. Then she saw a note. She quickly flipped the note opened and read it, her eyes blurring. When she finished, she let out an enormous sigh of relief. Ron was just going shopping with Elizabeth today. "Good," She said to herself before rolling out of bed, and into the showers.  
  
"Do you like this ring? It's a sapphire with four diamonds surrounding it. It's very delicate." The ring clerk laid out the black velvet box with the single ring enclosed. Ron frowned.  
  
"No, no, it's not what I want." Ron sighed again for the twentieth time. Elizabeth groaned with frustration and shoved the ring under his nose.  
  
"Ron, it's a perfectly fine ring. Why won't you take it? We've been at this for hours! It's almost dinnertime!"  
  
Ron looked at her, raising his eyebrows to give a look of superiority. However, Elizabeth was never one to be intimidated easily so she just put her hands on her hips and glared right back, until the clerk finally got tired of them both and coughed loudly. They looked rudely to the clerk, but relaxed.  
  
"Look Elizabeth, I love Hermione and I'm willing to give her anything. I want this proposal to be perfect, and in order to make it perfect, I have to have THE ring. Not just any ring, but the ring that will bond us together for life, the ring that she'll wake up every morning with it on, and the ring that she'll die with. Picking the ring is not an easy task. When I see THE ring, I'll know. Don't worry." Ron looked back towards the clerk. "Do you have any others?"  
  
The clerk looked through the glass panned counters, his eyes flickering over the selections. Finally, his eyes settled on a beautiful one that most people couldn't even afford. It was a dazzling 1920s princess cut diamond ring. He looked at it, pondering for moment whether or not to give it to this man. But his instinct took over and he reached for it, half- debating with himself. He set it before Ron and Elizabeth, both who stopped arguing and instinctively gazed at the ring as though mesmerized by it. Ron picked it up slowly, examining the ring and for once, he felt sudden rushes of various emotions, mostly full of elation and love, passion and desire, utmost longing and aspiration, and yet also full of amorous romance. He gazed at Elizabeth, who smiled, nodding. He nodded back, felt it stirring in his soul, waking up at last. He turned back to the clerk and smiled, "We'll have this one please." 


	10. Will you marry me?

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked a disheveled Ginny, who was preparing dinner. She rushed to and from the kitchen, anxiously carrying glasses, plates, and dishes. Hermione was trying to help out her friend, but she was too occupied with thoughts of Ron. It was five o'clock now, and the note had said he would come back by now. However, with each minute ticking, she grew more and more fretful.  
  
"Don't worry Hermione. He'll be fine. He's with Elizabeth." Ginny responded matter-of-factly. Hermione nodded, relief washing over her. If Ron was with Elizabeth, there was no way nothing bad would happen to him. Elizabeth could kick serious butt.  
  
"Good. Well, I guess now I can help you with dinner." Hermione stood up, pleased.  
  
"So I'll distract everyone while you propose. Then, when you're done, I'll bring everyone back in." Elizabeth informed a half-interested Ron. He was visualizing her saying yes and his face glowed with happiness. Elizabeth allowed him thirty seconds reminiscence before smacking him on the head.  
  
"Come on Ron, pay attention." She frowned, though there was an obvious twinkle in her eyes. Ron smiled helpfully.  
  
"I am. Yeah, just make sure that you distract them for at least five minutes. Do whatever you have to do. I trust you." He said, looking her straight in the eye.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Ron and Elizabeth Apparated back to their flats, eager for the plan to be brought out. Ginny, Harry, Andrew, and Hermione were all sitting round the kitchen, just starting dinner.  
  
"There you are! I was worried sick about you!" Hermione cried out as she jumped up to hug her boyfriend. Elizabeth quickly drove everyone else's attention.  
  
"Hey Harry, Ginny, Andrew, come with me. I have something to show you guys and I need you opinion on it." She spoke hastily, dragging Andrew's arm out the door. Ginny and Harry followed reluctantly. Hermione started to follow, but Ron stopped her.  
  
"Hermione, I have to tell you something. Or more like I have to ask you something."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened for a minute and she sat down willingly. Ron took a deep breath and produced the black satin box out of his pocket, then bended down on one knee.  
  
"'Mione, I love you. There's no other way of putting it. I truly and affectionately love you, with all my heart, with every once of who I am. I can't imagine spending my life with someone who isn't Hermione Granger. I can't imagine spending my life without the smartest, most brilliant person I know and I've come to love. I trust you with my whole life, and I respect you deeply. There's something written in the stars, maybe a prophecy that says that I want to marry you, I want to have children with you, and I want to grow old with you. If I don't spend my whole life loving you, then I'm not Ron Weasley. I want to be with you every minute of my life...okay maybe not every minute, sorry, I'm not going to lie to you in my proposal. I want to be with you for the rest of my life...in various intervals." He chuckled briefly then turned back to face her amused eyes, "I love you. So, Hermione Anne Granger, will you marry me?"  
  
He flipped open the ring box and just as he had hoped, Hermione's eyes widened with happiness, surprise, and wanting desire. Her hand fluttered to her mouth and tears stung in her eyes. But nevertheless, she got down and held Ron tightly against her. She looked at him earnestly and kissed him softly on the lips, the only answer he would want.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, I'd love to marry you." 


End file.
